RAFFLES ITALIA EXCURSION 2008

The Group (front row from left to right): Bob,Tifana, Utari, Jacquline, Oliva, Yenny, Jess, Duncan

(back row): Gordon, Eugene, Tanya, Pina, Camilla, Brooke, Alex

Departure (April 12th 2008)

After much anticipation, and some intricate negotiations with the Italian Consulate, the first Italian excursion under the Raffles banner set out. Headed by Dr. Bob Chung and part-time lecturer Gordon Waters thirteen fashion and interior design students jammed into the Cathay flight from Sydney to Rome, via Hong Kong. They arrived tired, but enthusiastic, at the hotel on the 13th. The next five days were spent exploring the many sights of Rome.

The focus of the trip was to address the western art historical canon from the pre-Renaissance right through the Baroque and into early Mannerism. There was also, where possible, an intention to visit as many contemporary design sites as possible.

The Oculus of the Pantheon

In Rome, the standard sites were explored including a long day to the Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon and a side trip to view Michelangelo's Moses at San Pietro in Vincoli

Other stops included a day trip to Pompeii, a visit to the Catacombs, and a trip to the Vatican museum.

Tifana and Bob at St. Peter's Square	At the Colosseum

Most of the students were unfamiliar with Italy and no one had been exposed to so much of the historical background of the famous city. Many found the size slightly daunting, but the central location of the hotel and peoples' willingness to explore quickly resolved any hesitancy.

Stairs and more stairs...leading to San Pietro in Vincoli. Rome

Gordon and Bob had an interesting first train ride to Naples on the Eurostar, realising only when the conductor arrived to check tickets that reservations were needed on most trains in Italy. It was an expensive mistake. Unfortunately, it took us a while to get the hang of it, but eventually we sorted it out. Despite the size and general chaos of Rome the consensus was that the city was exciting and the time spent there rewarding.

Out for Dinner

Duncan Johns and his female entourage (Camilla, Jessica, Alex and Brooke) had a foray out to a Rome nightclub that turned into an eventful evening.

On April 18th, we departed Rome and took the train to Florence where we checked in to Hotel Patrizia, our home for the next thirteen days. Conveniently located in the heart of the city, it served as out base for day trips as well as the multitude of museums and churches full of fascinating art throughout Florence itself. Our journeys included trips to Pisa, Sienna, Milan, Modena, and Venice.

Venice Girls

The last trip was perhaps the most successful despite a first attempt that had to be aborted, due to the death of a train driver in Ferrara. Everyone was extremely patient that day as we spent roughly six hours on trains, and only about four experiencing anything interesting. In Venice the pastries and Piazza San Marco were the highlights, as was a gondola ride taken by five of the students.

The Canals of Venice	Holding up the Tower in Pisa

Shopping.

It is impossible to write about the trip without mentioning this all-important phenomenon. There was plenty of it, particularly upon reaching Florence and the attraction and abundance of reasonably priced goods at the market. Before it was possible to say "euro" it seemed most everyone had a beautiful leather jacket in which to walk the streets.

The other cultural element much commented upon was the food. While some were eating an assortment of meals at trattorias, it seemed that roughly a week into the trip that many were getting tired of pizza, panini, and pasta, especially those who are used to a fare comprised mostly of Asian food. Ask Tifana, she'll tell you!

Other events included a great night out celebrating Brooke's 20th birthday at a Spanish restaurant to the sounds of a mariachi singer, and a soccer game in the park.

Brooke celebrates her birthday

Hamming it up
The artistic and cultural component of the trip was rich, with a heavy emphasis on the development of painting from the quattrocento, through to the heightened naturalism of the high Renaissance. Bob placed a particular emphasis on the differences between Gothic and Romanesque architecture.

The Duomo, Sienna

There was a visit to the art school I was an alumni of called Studio Art Centers International, as well as Domus Academy, a highly respected design school in Milan. Certain students are considering further study at these institutions or others in Italy, as either undergraduates, or post-graduates.

A night at the Trevi

Where Now? (Pompeii)

As is the case with trips of this nature, it is after one is home that the true benefits of the experience sink in. While there were difficult moments during the trip-travel always presents challenges, group travel even more so- I think everyone involved learned a lot about an ancient culture and its artistic legacy, had an enjoyable time, and were able to discover things about themselves they were unaware of before. Both Bob and I were glad to get to know everyone better and enjoyed the trip. We are looking forward to our next adventure in 2009.

By Gordon Walters
Lecturer

Anyone for Paris, southern France, and Barcelona?

All about Oat

If you haven’t heard of Oat Montien, you are likely to very soon.

The productive third-year Bachelor of Arts (Visual Communication) student, majoring in Graphic Design here at Raffles College, is becoming a regular feature of Sydney’s design scene.

Oat, 19, was recently invited to exhibit 10 of his works at the inaugural Emerging Designers Exhibition last month at Paddington Markets, along with 19 other young Sydney designers.

Just a few months ago, in November, he was one of eight contestants in the final round of the Cut&Paste digital design tournament, and this December he will participate in the Fashique program, a monthly exhibition for up and coming creatives, held at Ruby Rabbit in Sydney.

Next year promises to be even bigger, with a solo exhibition planned for March 2009 at the Kinokuniya Gallery, featuring a body of work in every field of design.

“I’m going to be busy but it will be great fun. As a part of Fashique, I’ll be showing my first-ever fashion parade called ‘O’s by Oat Montien’. My friends from Raffles College who study fashion, multimedia and graphic design will be helping me out, so it’s really a collaborative project. It’ll be something like the Raffles College showcase, because everyone I know will be involved in some way. I’m really looking forward to it,” Oat says.

Oat typically uses digital collage, computer illustration and painting in his work.

The one-time Kinokuniya Digital Art Prize winner is currently designing an online shop displaying his work as a part of a major project at Raffles College, which he hopes to eventually upload to the web.

RCDC hosts "First Five Out" networking opportunity

Raffles College of Design and Commerce was proud to host an Australian Graphic Design Association networking opportunity on Monday, May 5, 2008.

The 'First Five Out' discussion panel featured recent graduates and industry professionals sharing their experiences of the first five years out of college.

The discussion were aimed to help current students and recent graduates prepare for entering the working world and show them a new way to approach creativity.

Panelists included:

• Laurence Ng - publisher of IdN, a digital design magazine
• Justin Fox - founder of Australian INFront, a collaborative project space for online designers
• David Minkley - design director of Passport DSN, an international brand agency
• and leading graduates from top Australian design colleges.

The event was organised by the Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA) and sponsored by Raffles College.  For more information about future AGDA functions, please contact AGDA on 
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